• September 3, 2008

Local search site Local.com said Tuesday it had expanded its direct sales force to 150 from 100 in June as small and medium-sized businesses continue to boost online ad spending.

Most of Local.com's direct sales are handled through third-party call centers that sell the company's subscription ad packages. Local.com has set a goal of reaching 50,000 advertisers by the end of 2009. With 5,000 as of August, it still has a long way to go to reach that milestone.

Research firm Borrell Associates says pure-play Internet companies such as Local.com dominate local online ad spending with 57.3% of the market, compared to 24.6% for newspapers and 7.8% for directories. Local Internet spending overall is expected to jump 50% to $13.1 billion this year, according to Borrell.--Mark Walsh